Do your parents still live in the home where you grew up? Are there notches on the door frame that mark your growth as a child? Is there a spot in the backyard where you buried your first goldfish? Do you know where everyone sits at a holiday dinner? Does the kitchen smell of mom’s cookies? And do the worn tools in the garage fit your father’s hands perfectly?
If you feel this many emotions toward your childhood home, how do you think your mom may feel? For a senior, who can no longer live independently, a move can be very challenging. You need to be sensitive. Understand that physical, emotional, and cognitive changes can affect their ability to participate in a move.
Here are some tips for making the move a little easier:
Your mom may be distressed because she feels a loss of control when moving from her home. Communicate with your her every step of the way. Reinforce the need to downsize for her health and personal well-being. Don’t surprise her with boxes and a moving truck in the driveway. You need to give her choices and ask her to participate in the move. Allow your mom sufficient time to help you sort through the years of memories.
Make a realistic floor plan of her new home. This will help you determine what furniture is needed and how it will fit in the space. Make sure everyone, who is helping, has a clear vision of what they will need. Your mom will be more comfortable in her new home if she is surrounded by loved and cherished items, but make sure these are appropriately sized for the space. The rest of her items should be sold, donated, or given to family members. Your mom may be happy or comforted to share furniture or kitchen items with a young couple in their first home or a grandchild heading off to college.
Surround your mom with family and friends to support and help with the sorting, boxing, donating, and moving. More hands will help make light work. Many people are emotionally attached to their items. This is a great opportunity for your mom to share stories about her treasures. You may find out things that you never knew! Learn about her wild travel adventures, marriage advice, family history, cooking secrets, or tearful stories through the objects in her home.
Once your mom has moved into her new home, take the time to clean, repair, and prep the house to be sold, rented, or passed to a relative. Make a budget and ask for help to paint, scrub, fix, or mend the garden. Or to relieve stress, hire help if that fits in the budget.
Don’t underestimate the toll that a move can have on you. You may also be going through some big changes. Perhaps you are taking on the role of caregiver, selling your childhood home, or grieving the loss of a parent. This move can be emotionally and physically draining for you too. Stay positive, eat healthy, and get a good night’s sleep.
If you’re still in the planning stages contact an Aegis Living community near you and ask for advice on downsizing.
Respite Stays & Day Stays give family caregivers a real break—hours, days, or a few weeks—while your loved one enjoys a safe, enriching short‑term home at Aegis Living. Guests settle into a beautifully furnished private apartment and have 24/7 care staff and onsite nurses, medication management, and discreet safety technology (motion sensors, medical‑alert pendants, visitor check‑in) for peace of mind. Each day feels purposeful with chef‑prepared, all‑day dining and 200+ monthly activities—from book clubs and fitness classes to movie nights—plus full use of the community. We coordinate with your loved one’s physicians to mirror their routines and care, so the stay feels familiar. It’s also a smart trial run for senior living: meet neighbors, test services, and see what supported independence looks like—without a long‑term commitment. Choose a Respite Stay when you’re traveling or need time to recharge, when your loved one would benefit from structure, social connection, and great meals, or when you both want peace of mind while keeping options open.
Hospice & End‑of‑Life Care at Aegis Living is comfort‑first support for the final stage of life, delivered in your loved one’s private apartment by our 24/7 care team in coordination with a trusted local hospice provider you choose (or we can recommend). Together, we create a coordinated care plan that manages pain and other symptoms, oversees medications, and provides calm, dignified help with daily needs, while offering compassionate emotional support for both resident and family. Discreet safety measures and a reliable medical‑alert system bring help quickly; chef‑prepared, in‑apartment meals adapt to changing appetites. Families are guided through decisions and moments of closure so they can focus on being present in a peaceful, home‑like setting. If your loved one already lives at Aegis, they can remain in the comfort of their home, avoiding disruptive moves. Choose this level of care when curative treatment is no longer the goal and you want expert symptom control, hands‑on daily support, and a setting that protects dignity and prioritizes comfort, meaning, and time together.
Memory Care is specialized, secure support for people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias who benefit from a calm, structured environment and round‑the‑clock expertise. At Aegis Living, that care happens in Life’s Neighborhood—an intimate, thoughtfully designed setting where 24/7 dementia‑trained caregivers and a nursing team on site seven days a week deliver personalized help with daily living, medication management, and mobility (including Hoyer lifts and two‑person transfers), while gently redirecting agitation and confusion. Days are purpose‑filled with science‑based cognitive programming, certified music therapy, and social activities; chef‑prepared meals are easy to enjoy and dining spaces and cues are designed for memory support. Discreet safety features like secured entrances, emergency pendants with fall detection, and optional motion sensors, prevent wandering and bring peace of mind, and visiting physicians and wellness professionals reduce trips off‑site. Families receive education and ongoing support. If your loved one is unsafe alone, missing medications, wandering, needs frequent cueing or hands‑on help with bathing or dressing, or thrives with a predictable routine, Memory Care offers the right level of care. For milder needs, our transitional Assisted Living can be a first step; for advancing symptoms, secured Memory Care provides the specialized, heartfelt support to help them feel calm, connected, and at home.